momentum
by recluse-writes
Summary: [Fluff] "We should study together some time," the stoic man was staring straight ahead, the image of cool with his hands in his pockets. The glow from her phone illuminated her smile as she asked to exchange numbers.
1. Chapter 1

A/N: hey hey i'm back with a new multi-chap something! it'll be a light college AU, based on american university so if anything is confusing, feel free to ask. also i was asked about my whereabouts and my updates are sporadic because i'm a full time student, although i do most of my writing when i'm procrastinating lol.

* * *

A blast of the rich scent of coffee and sweet pastries assaulted him as he stepped into the cafe.

He spotted the boisterous table of seven in the corner - they were hard to miss in the small coffee shop, especially with Naruto's blonde, messy hair and Sakura's pastel pink locks. A few of the group caught his gaze and waved at him.

"Sasuke's here!" Naruto exclaimed and a chorus of cheers followed suit.

The man huffed in amusement and went to order his usual: black coffee with a hit of dark chocolate. The fragrant drink was one of the few things he looked forward to at the end of the week.

When he went to take his usual place at the table, he noticed that it was already occupied.

"Hey, Sasuke," Rock Lee paused in his conversation with the stranger in his seat, "This is Hinata, she's Neji's younger cousin."

She looked up at him with wide lavender eyes and offered a shy smile, "Hi Sasuke."

He tilted his head at her in greeting and sat next to her, in the only open chair.

Sipping the smooth liquid, he discreetly watched the newcomer and pondered.

This girl was a Hyuuga? He thought to Neji and Hiashi, who was acquaintances with his father, and saw the resemblance in her pale irises and dark hair. But the personalities definitely did not match. She was kind of mousy and didn't possess the frigid demeanor or casual detachment of her family members.

She was currently complaining about one of her classes to Lee, a sports medicine major and upperclassman that had already suffered through core courses.

"We just had our first exam and there was so much on it!" She sighed. "The whole class was there up to the last minute and I had to guess for the last five because I ran out of time."

Rock Lee nodded sagely, "I heard Dr. Morino's exams were quite difficult, but he does offer a curve."

"Physics two?" Sasuke asked.

She affirmed in a dejected manner, "Unfortunately…"

"I'm taking it this semester too."

"With who?" Interest sparked in her eyes as she fully turned towards him; they could bemoan that cursed class together.

Hinata was excited because she had trouble meeting new people since she'd entered Konoha University and it was like playing Tetris on hard mode when trying to meet up with her best friends. Shino was taking obscure entomology classes at unconventional times and doing research that had him out in the field often, and Kiba was balancing classes, helping out at his family's kennel, and volunteering at the local animal shelter.

She was also kind of nervous because a lot of these people were new to her and her few usual acquaintances were busy. Gaara was studying for some big poli sci exam tomorrow and Tenten had work.

"Hatake," he deadpanned.

Lee was about to comment, but got pulled into another conversation by Naruto, who boasted that he could beat the track star in a race.

Her cringe was apparent and she made a sound of sympathy. The silver-haired professor was notorious for being fashionably late to lectures and for being flaky in general.

"I take it you've heard of his excellent attendance?"

Her laugh was bright, pleasant. "I have."

"Last week, he didn't even show to administer our exam. The TAs had to and they were pissed about it - apparently he emailed them ten minutes before the test."

Her mouth parted in shock. "That's terrible! I feel bad for complaining about Dr. Morino."

He chuckled at her reaction, "Well I did hear he was a hard ass."

A slight nod in confirmation. "He's… strict and his tests are near impossible but he's great at teaching. Physics just isn't my subject."

She tucked her hair behind her ear as she lamented her less than satisfactory (in her opinion) performance in the course.

The blue-black strands seemed to subtly change in shade when they shifted and he wanted to observe the color closer, maybe run his fingers through the soft locks.

As soon as the idea struck him, he mentally recoiled from it. What the fuck? That was creepy. Those kinds of thoughts were the precursor to stalking her and later building a shrine out of her candid photos.

He kept his hands clasped to his cup, as if he didn't trust himself not to act of that stray thought.

"Physics isn't my subject either."

* * *

When the rambunctious group walked to the dorms to turn in for the night, Sasuke and Hinata were drifting at the back, as they tended to do.

"We should study together some time." The stoic man was staring straight ahead, the image of cool with his hands in his pockets.

"For physics," he quickly added for clarity.

'Smooth, Sasuke, real smooth,' he berated himself, sweating at the potential of rejection.

She didn't pick up on his apprehension and looked at him with a hopeful gaze. "Really?"

He stole a glance at her, "Yeah."

The glow from her phone illuminated her smile as she asked to exchange numbers.


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: you guys are lovely! you're all great and wonderful; here's another chapter before i ghost for finals

* * *

Her phone buzzed, announcing the arrival of a new message.

The corners of her mouth instinctively turned up when she saw who the text was from. It was from Sasuke, who was saved in her phone with a little tomato emoji next to his name.

She recalled the day she learned about his obsession with the vegetable… Fruit? They actually had a debate about this via text and neither individual was swayed by the other. Hinata held fast to her idea that while tomatoes were technically fruits, she considered them vegetables because they were more savory than sweet. Her friend did not agree - going as far as replying with a screenshot of the dictionary definition of a fruit and asserting that tomatoes were classified as such.

The only thing that quelled their argument was finding out that they were both correct, courtesy of a quick Google search.

When they started studying together two weeks prior, Sasuke brought a small container of tomato wedges to eat during one of their breaks.

"Is that your lunch?" She asked while pulling out her bento.

He finished chewing before he answered, "Kind of. I'm going to the dining hall after this for real food, if you could call that real food."

Their next session, Hinata brought a second bento - intended for her study companion.

She tentatively nudged it towards him during their food break. "I figured you might be tired of dining hall food, I know I was after a month," she rambled. "But it's okay if you don't want it, I can just-"

"I'll take it," he said a little too quickly, eager to accept her thoughtful gift. "Thank you."

His thanks was awkward and bashful, for him at least. He was much more used to rejecting lunches and other presents from girls (and occasionally boys) than accepting them.

"It was no trouble at all," she insisted and watched intently as he picked up the chopsticks. She picked up her own pair as well, so it wouldn't look like she was simply staring at him, waiting for his reaction to her cooking - which she was, but that was beside the point.

The ascent of the piece of karaage seemed exaggeratedly slow until it finally reached his mouth.

Now for the moment of truth; she was scared he would hate it or think her weird for even bringing him lunch in the first place…

His eyebrows lifted in astonishment and he replied sincerely, onyx eyes boring into hers.

"It's delicious."

Her insecurities were dispelled with that two-word sentence and a smile bloomed on her face.

* * *

"You're sure this is allowed?" Hinata whispered frantically as Sasuke took the empty seat next to her.

He pulled out a pen and a notebook and shrugged.

"It's fine, there are over 200 students in this lecture," he scanned the packed room. "Besides, I'm already paying tuition for physics two, I should be getting complete lectures."

She pursed her lips and looked around the room nervously, as if her professor would descend from the rafters and berate them.

"He won't even know I'm here," he assured her. "We're not the kind of assholes that talk the entire lecture."

Morino Ibiki chose that moment to march into the room, through the usual doors, silencing the class with his imposing presence.

His back was ramrod straight and he announced, "Good evening, class."

The girl next to him began to fidget as the professor swept his gaze over the class. God, he was going to find out that Sasuke wasn't in this class and then he would kick him out! Or would Dr. Morino kick both of them out? She worried her bottom lip with her teeth, old habits resurfacing.

A warm, comforting hand engulfed hers and squeezed lightly - her anxiety was momentarily forgotten.

"Attendance is looking better today, I see," he stated approvingly.

Then the teacher began his tirade, "Today we will be learning about statics…"

Sasuke shot her a triumphant smirk and she responded with a relieved grin.

Thus began Uchiha Sasuke's unofficial enrollment in PHY 2000, section 3, with Hyuuga Hinata.


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: thank you for your reviews and good luck messages! :') i actually finished this chapter via procrastinating so pls enjoy - see you in a few weeks!

p.s: i have 2K words for a sasuhina motorcycle AU that hit me hard, so expect to see that in the future

* * *

It was Saturday night, yet the only sounds that filled the dorm were the clicking of calculator keys and the faint scratching of pencil on paper. Their exams were in a few days and they were in his room because their usual study spot, the library, was closed. And unlike Hinata, Sasuke didn't have room mates. The single suite may have been more expensive, but he found that his privacy was worth every penny.

She was lying on the rug in his room, with sheets and sheets of paper splayed out around her. Physics formulas, worked problems, and scribbled out answers were scrawled across the scattered notes.

Sasuke was somehow already done with everything, simply hanging out on his bed and playing on the Nintendo DS while his friend suffered through the rest of the practice material.

Frustrated because she had been working for two straight hours and because Sasuke always seemed to finish in light speed, she flopped over with a huff.

Glancing over to her from his game, he smirked in amusement. She was cute when she was frustrated - with her arms crossed tightly and her brow furrowed. It was one of the few times a scowl would grace her features.

"You okay?" He asked casually, pausing in the middle of his boss battle.

She put down her pencil and pushed some of her papers away so she could scoot closer to him. He was perched cross-legged on the bed, but now adjusted himself to move closer to her too.

Mimicking her position, he lay on his stomach and rested his chin in his hands.

"I will be when I finish all of these practice problems."

He raised his eyebrows at her, implying he was done and able to help her.

"Nooo," she groaned. "I can't ask for any more of your help! At this rate I should be paying you for tutoring me, but I think there's a grand total of twenty three dollars and eighty cents in my bank account."

He snorted. "Wait, doesn't your dad own Hyuuga Corp?"

Hinata suddenly sat up, spine straight and determination set in her lavender eyes. "He does, but I wanted to prove I can make it on my own. He was more than a little upset I chose to major in pharmacy instead of business."

"Pharmacy is a respectable field, you'll make good money," he offered.

A noncommittal shrug of her shoulders. "I know… I guess he just expected me to inherit the family business because I'm the eldest."

He hopped off the bed to sit next to her, sensing this was a touchy subject. "You're not going to disprove anyone if you don't finish your physics," he chided lightly. "And I'd help you for free - now show me where you're stuck."

Nudging her shoulder with his, he got her to turn to her homework.

She reluctantly shifted her focus back into study mode and pointed to her last problem. "Ok, so I'm not sure how to start this."

Dark eyes scanned the question. "You need to convert this using this formula, then you plug your answer into that formula."

After a while, she got the hang of those problems and shooed Sasuke away to go do something more exciting than helping her with schoolwork.

* * *

The clock was approaching 1 AM and she began to nod off. By 1:30, she was fast asleep, resting her head on top of her open physics textbook with a soft _thunk_.

That probably wasn't comfortable. Or good for her neck.

Very carefully, Sasuke switched out the text book for a pillow and draped his blanket over her.

There. She looked comfortable now, for someone sleeping on a rug. He would have moved her to the bed, but he didn't want to wake her.

Lying on the carpet next to her, he observed the subtle rise and fall of her shoulders and the occasional flutter of her lashes.

Some hair had fallen onto her face, so he reached out to gently tuck the strands behind her ear. Her nose twitched when he accidentally brushed her cheek and he couldn't help the quiet chuckle that spilled forth.

She looked so at peace… Watching her, he felt like he was wrapped in cotton. Things were calm, quiet. He could have fallen asleep there, on the hard floor next to her.

Although the strands were out of her face, he continued to run his fingers through her silky hair. It was as soft as he speculated it would be, since the day they met in the coffee shop. He noted that it was also more of a deep blue-violet color than black when it caught the light just right -

He nearly jumped at the obnoxious pounding on his door. Miraculously, the sleeping girl didn't wake. It would've been painfully awkward to explain why his fingers were combing through her tresses - if he could even rationally explain his actions.

"Hey! Bastard, open up!" Naruto's shouting could probably be heard from the other side of the damn building.

Sasuke quickly threw open the door, ready to chew his friend out for being so insanely loud.

"Shut the hell up, some people are trying to sleep," he hissed.

"Don't bullshit me, I saw your light on and know you don't go to bed til 2 or 3."

"I didn't mean myself."

"Oh?" The blonde perked up and tried to peer into the room like a nosy mother, but his vision was obscured by Sasuke beginning to close the door. "Do you have a girl over or something?!"

He was excited, practically bouncing on his heels. How he had such large reserves of energy, especially at this time of night, Sasuke didn't know.

"Fuck off," he replied, without any real malice.

"Dude, are you for real? Congrats! I was wondering when I'd have to order an escort for you to - augh!"

Clutching his arm, Naruto frowned at the Uchiha. "Fine, fine, I got the message! I'll leave." The hyperactive man turned around and trudged down the hallway, but not before winking at his friend. "Don't forget to use protection!"

Sasuke sent one last scathing glare at the blonde before abruptly shutting the door.

Gears churned in Naruto's head as he tried to figure out who Sasuke could have possibly invited to his room at this hour.

Sasuke was indifferent to most people, diligently turning down love struck admirers left and right since middle school. He even skipped class on Valentine's day, reporting fake symptoms each year. On the rare occasion that Naruto was able to drag the stoic teen to a school social, Sasuke sulked in the corner and didn't dare dance with anyone.

Naruto thought that maybe romance wasn't Sasuke's jam - and that was ok. They were best friends and he would've supported Sasuke no matter what.

So the question remained… Who was the mystery person that wormed their way into his heart?


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: i love each and every one of you and although i'm in the middle of finals hell (they're officially next week), i wanted to bring you this chapter anyways.

as an aside, i think it's so cool that people all around the world are reading my work! i am but a peasant, but i'd like to say hello from america!

* * *

Hinata yawned and stretched her arms in front of her - well, as best as she could being tucked into Sasuke's side, with his arm around her shoulders.

After loosening some of the tension that came with sitting for a straight hour and a fifteen minutes, she looped an arm around Sasuke's waist and they continued their journey to the food court.

With the Uchiha being at least a foot taller than her 5′2 self, one would think it'd be awkward for them to walk in such a manner.

Surprisingly, it was not. Like the grooves of a key and their respective tumbler, they fit together perfectly.

"Sasuke!" The shout could be heard from the other side of the field they were crossing.

The pair turned to the direction of the voice and Sasuke groaned under his breath as a group of interesting individuals approached them. The one who called for Sasuke was a bespectacled woman with flaming red hair, styled fashionably. Next to her was a white haired male, strolling casually and complaining about hearing loss from her "screeching." And the last was a towering man who looked like he could eat all of them for breakfast. Oddly enough, a squirrel was perched on his shoulder and nibbling a cracker, making him appear more like a Disney character than an intimidating giant.

"Can we just walk away and pretend we didn't see them?" He asked under his breath.

"No!" She admonished playfully. "That would be rude. Besides, we've already established eye contact."

"It's been too long, Sasuke," the red head reached them first. "Who's this?" She eyed Hinata, curious.

"Yeah, who's your new girlfriend?" the shorter male asked with a teasing smirk, "Is this why you haven't been hanging out with us lately?"

Sasuke stiffened and reluctantly introduced his friend to them. "Hinata," he gestured to her. "Juugo, Karin, Suigetsu," he referred to each person respectively.

They all exchanged greetings and Karin asked how they met, itching to know more about their relationship.

Sasuke spoke, wanting to keep this interaction as short as possible. "Mutual friends."

"You have friends outside of us?" Suigetsu remarked with mock surprise, holding his hand to his chest, earning him an unamused glare.

"So…" Karin inquired with trepidation, "how long have you been going out?"

Hinata produced a nervous laugh and waved dismissively, "We're not dating."

The Uzumaki secretly breathed out a sigh of relief, while a slight frown tugged at the corners of Sasuke's mouth.

As disheartening as it was, it was true. Sasuke couldn't muster the courage ask her out, but more than anything, he didn't want to ruin the dynamic they currently had.

He was comfortable with their relationship - their texting, studying, and hanging out. In fact, they had plans to go downtown this weekend to check out a new coffee shop/bookstore that opened up. He just genuinely enjoyed her company and didn't want to complicate it with his possibly one-sided infatuation.

Juugo watched the scene play out in front of him with mild interest, absentmindedly petting the rodent that was now falling asleep in the crook of his elbow.

Suigetsu side-eyed the dark haired couple, not believing the bashful girl. "Then what's all this?" He motioned to their intimate embrace.

Sasuke pulled his friend closer, a defensive action, while a fierce blush ignited on her face.

"Oh, well," Hinata was flustered and began to ramble. "See, Sasuke gets cold very easily and we just got out of a freezing lecture hall, so…" she finished sheepishly, gaze cast down.

She did admit that it might have looked strange to an outsider - but unexpectedly, Sasuke was a tactile person and she found that she didn't mind.

It started out with light touches. Their fingers brushing when he handed her things, shoulders rubbing when they were jostled in a crowd. Then his palm at the small of her back when he wanted to guide her somewhere, eventually progressing to linking arms so they wouldn't get separated in heavily populated areas.

Growing up in a family that did not hug or anything of the sort, she never considered herself a big fan of being touched. Perhaps all of those years of lost affection caught up to her because she rather enjoyed her friend's tendency to maintain contact and share warmth.

"Interesting…" Suigetsu drawled and cocked his head at the Uchiha. He had murder written in those hard onyx eyes, challenging Suigetsu to say something stupid. Clearly, the laid back man had no concern for his life or well-being because his next words were: "Sasuke hates to be touched."

Hinata pulled away, fractionally, to gaze up at him with surprise in her features, "Really?"

He kept his hold on her, grip firm. "By other people," he stated cryptically, by way of explanation.

The white haired man had such a shit-eating grin, Sasuke wanted to wipe it off his smug face. Juugo looked like he had questions and Karin wore an expression that was a cross between bewildered and conflicted, as if she wanted to believe Sasuke but had trouble doing so. In all of her years of knowing him, he's kept _at least_ three feet of distance between himself and others; friends included, to her dismay.

Already tired of the interrogation, he made a show of glancing at his left wrist and declaring, "Oh, look at the time we've got to go."

As she was being pulled away from the group, she waved back and said, "See you later! It was nice meeting you!"

They bade goodbye and after Suigetsu finished his spell of cackling, he managed to slip in, "You can't avoid us forever, Sasuke! We'll talk to you later."

Once they were a sufficient distance away, Hinata let the giggles burst from her lips.

"You don't even own a watch."


	5. Chapter 5

A/N: hoo boy... it's been crazy. but just two more exams and then i'm free! i hope you guys have been doing well; in life, school, etc

i was originally going to ignore them but here's a quick note for the individual that takes the time out of their life to purposefully look up every sasuhina fic and tell authors to kill themselves: i will keep writing cavity-inducing fluff for my favorite ship and your comments will get deleted here. i'm sorry that you're bitter about something that isn't real but it costs zero dollars to avoid something you dislike. hate doesn't help you grow - it rots you from the inside, i hope you eventually mature enough to see that.

anyways! for the rest of you, enjoy the chapter!

* * *

Stress permeated the campus air - it was finals week and students were frantically attempting to cram a semester's worth of information in the span of several days _and_ complete presentations and papers and projects. More than a few were running on lethal amounts of caffeine and Adderall.

They were working on practice exams in the group study area of the library when one of the chairs at their table was pulled out and the intruder plopped into the seat as if they belonged there.

"Hey guys!" Naruto greeted and started unpacking his notes and textbooks. "So glad I found you two, I couldn't find a single open desk or table in this place."

"Hi Naruto," Hinata greeted warmly, perking up to the distraction from the monotonous problems.

Sasuke briefly acknowledged the blonde's presence before turning back to his work - they still had another physics practice exam left to complete.

"You'd think the library would be emptier at 2 AM on a Friday."

With an irritable tone, Sasuke stated, "It's finals week, dobe."

"Fuck dude, it sure is," he sighed and picked up a pencil.

The political science major rifled through his notes and textbooks but quickly became bored - there was so much to study and so little time to study with. It was all very daunting so he watched his quiet friends instead.

When Hinata turned to Sasuke to ask about a specific problem she was stuck on, Naruto was surprised to see him helping her without sass or impatience. While he was best friends with the Uchiha and cared for him dearly, he had to admit that Sasuke was not exactly known for being nice or even remotely helpful. In fact, he was kind of a bastard sometimes.

The blonde interjected, "What are you guys studying?"

Tired lavender eyes peeled away from the never ending practice sheet.

"Physics," she explained glumly.

"Well you're in good hands!" He said emphatically, with a wide grin.

She blinked at him in questioning.

"Yeah, this punk" - he pointed to Sasuke - "took AP Physics in high school and got a 5 on the exam! But he's crazy and wanted to retake physics in college," Naruto remarked with a perplexed expression.

Not registering the shadow that set over Sasuke's features, Naruto continued, "He's actually a physics whiz! He was a part of this nerdy science/math competition and he set a record score for the physics section - it made the news and everything."

Some of her fatigue ebbed and she raised a brow at him, amused. Sasuke schooled his expression to remain neutral and he could not meet her gaze. Instead he stared straight ahead at the rambling blonde, willing him to _just stop talking please_.

"He went to nationals after and took home the trophy, of course," he bragged about his best friend. "That thing is like, this tall!" He emulated the proportions with his hands, definitely exaggerating.

Before Sasuke could stop her, Hinata reached over to her laptop to Google his name. "U-chi-ha Sa-su-ke," she quietly mouthed the syllables as she typed.

He watched in horror as the trusty search engine pulled up results within 0.62 seconds and he was greeted with old photos from high school and headlines proclaiming of a physics prodigy.

'Hello darkness, my old friend…' played in his head as she clicked on the images tab and he was assaulted with even more embarrassing stills. Stones sank to the pit of his stomach, but she looked absolutely delighted to be perusing Sasuke's awful, awful high school pictures, eyes riveted to the screen.

"Your sense of style has improved," she offered, containing her laughter by pressing her lips together.

The arm warmers worn by the teen in the photos haunted him, as did the popped collar and partially unbuttoned shirt - _good god_ who let him attend the competition like that? No, the better question was: who let him leave the house like that?

Naruto hoisted his body across the table to look at her computer and let out a hearty chuckle. "Our boy Sasuke had an edgy emo phase," he then glanced at the sullen man's outfit, a dark hoodie and similarly dark jeans. "Actually, he might still be in it."

Sasuke wanted to be anywhere else but here, in the library with his past exposed to the girl he was absolutely infatuated with.

Noticing his taciturn attitude, Hinata threaded her fingers into his bangs to brush them away from his eyes, "But I think your hair has gotten messier."

The lavender pools conveyed mirth and her lingering touch on his temple made his pulse race, face heating to an uncomfortable temperature. Any existing thoughts went up in smoke with her simple actions; if his brain was a computer, Sasuke dot exe would have stopped working.

"Aww, Sasuke's embarrassed," Naruto teased in a belittling voice, snapping him out of his reverie.

As much as he wanted to lean into the warmth of her palm, he did the opposite and returned to his homework. Her hand dropped back to her side and he secretly mourned the loss.

Letting his bangs fall over his eyes and obscure his features, he did what he did best and tuned out his surroundings.

He was in the midst of solving problem 28 when he felt familiar fingers sweep his bangs away from his face once again. Caught off guard, he reflexively turned to the person playing with his hair.

"Ah, wait," Hinata was careful not to tug on his scalp with his sudden movement.

He held still, waiting patiently for her to finish.

Despite his best efforts, a shiver traveled down his spine at her ministrations. He almost sighed in pleasure at how good it felt to have her running her fingers through his tresses.

Thinking she accidentally pulled too hard, she apologized. "Sorry, did that hurt?"

"No." Quite the opposite, actually, but he wouldn't dare say it out loud. He would gladly let her play with his hair as much as her heart desired. Hell, he would let her touch him anytime she wanted - no questions asked.

A light snore drew his attention to a sleeping blonde on the other side of the table. That was quick. Though Naruto never had the focus to study for long periods of time anyways.

As she gathered his hair in a ponytail, she whispered to avoid waking their friend up. "Sorry for making fun of you," he could tell she was smiling, "I actually thought you were cute."

She just finished tying the upper half of it back, since the rest was too short, when he turned around in his seat to look at her. " _Were_?" he emphasized the past tense with a tilt of his head.

"Don't fret, you still are," she assured him with a grin and a pat on the cheek.

Grabbing her wrist before she could pull away, he pressed his lips to her soft palm. "What a relief," he replied wryly, a smirk gracing his features.

A blush bloomed on her face and her laughter was a little off - he could tell she was flustered.

Good. He wanted to be the one that threw off her composure.

Releasing her hand to let her return to her seat, he replayed the scene in his head and relished in the sensation of her fingers buried in his hair. Idly, he wondered what it would feel like to have her hands elsewhere...

Hinata's nerves were rattled; the ghost of his kiss seemed to be burned into her skin and she had trouble focusing on anything else.

They continued to do their homework, though physics was the last thing on either of their minds.

* * *

A/N: for my non-american friends, AP courses are college-level classes you can take in high school. you can get college credit by passing the exam at the end of the year with a score of 3 or higher. so sasuke is a physics nerd because he got a 5, the highest score possible.

btw is there anything you guys would like to see? i'm considering suggestions because the well is running dry and i was thinking about ending this fic soon


	6. Chapter 6

A/N: i'm officially on summer break! and i'll spend it writing cause you're all sweet potatoes (it's a compliment). your reviews really make my day and encourage me to keep going :')

to my one guest, i do have a few things lined up! they'll be most likely be multi-chaps, and those plot bunnies are on my tumblr (recluse-art) if you're interested.

to those saddened about the end, i will try my best to stretch this out for as long as i can (probably not over 10 chapters) and i'm still taking suggestions, wink wink

* * *

"Why do you have two toothbrushes?" Itachi picked up both items and turned to his younger brother with a raised brow.

Sasuke glanced in his direction with a deer-in-the-headlights expression. Not knowing how to answer, he continued placing his novels in a cardboard box.

Seconds passed as Itachi stared expectantly at the man avoiding his gaze.

"The blue one is mine, you can throw the purple one away," came his belated reply.

"Hmm." The older sibling was unsatisfied, but did not prod further.

They finished the rest of the packing in silence, with Sasuke hoping he would not be pressed on the issue. People didn't call Itachi a genius for nothing - he eventually figured things out, one way or another.

To say Itachi was curious was an understatement.

Once a week, they would Skype to stay in touch and like clockwork, he asked Sasuke how college was going. Were classes okay? Did he need anything?

Without fail, Sasuke gave the same generic answers: college is fine, classes are easy, no I don't need anything. He occasionally threw in extra details like "I went to a new cafe downtown" or "I visited this museum," but he did not generally enjoy discussing the personal details of his life. Then again, he was not a very talkative individual in the first place. Neither was Itachi, nor their late father - the Uchiha males were men of few words.

However brief their conversations may have been, Itachi did pick up on something. He was the lead investigator for the Konoha police force, so keen perception was a necessary part of the trade.

Sasuke seemed to have… perked up a little more this semester. Sometimes he would be half distracted on their Skype calls, text tones going off on his side. His focus would shift between his phone and his laptop to reply to his messages and maintain his discussion with Itachi.

Once, the older Uchiha watched with mild surprise as a grin split Sasuke's face upon opening a particular message. Momentarily forgetting he was on the other side of a webcam, he didn't mask his delight.

When asked who he was texting, Sasuke adjusted his features back to neutral and vaguely answered, "A friend."

Knowing he would find out eventually, he let it drop. Now the desire to understand came back full force with the discovery of the mysterious purple toothbrush.

They were loading the last few boxes into the car when Sasuke looked at his phone and typed back a quick reply. Wiping the dust from his hands on his pants, he faced his brother and declared, "I'm going to go meet with a friend since we finished early. I'll see you in an hour."

No wonder it seemed like he had rushed packing, haphazardly shoving his belongings into boxes and bags. Itachi nodded in assent. "Have fun, I'll meet you here at 3."

Sasuke all but sprinted away from the car and Itachi couldn't help but smirk. He was acting like a teenager with his first crush. Perhaps he was, he contemplated. His little brother closed himself off from others after their parents' deaths and while the siblings were in tune with each other, Sasuke still had trouble expressing himself.

The owner of the purple toothbrush must have been rather special, he mused as he watched Sasuke run off.

* * *

Itachi pondered upon what to do for the next hour and discovered a traditional Japanese cafe with great reviews online.

So he set off, rather eager to try their green tea and raved-about dango.

Upon entry, he surveyed the quaint shop. It was small, but homey, and there weren't too many customers. He decided he liked it.

Oh? What's this? What a pleasant surprise, it would appear that his brother was also at the cafe. Luckily, he was facing away from the door and didn't notice Itachi's entrance.

An expert at undercover missions and staying discreet, the detective chose the best vantage point to both spy on Sasuke and his "friend" and remain hidden from the man's view.

The nagging thought that this was an invasion of his younger brother's privacy lost against the strong urge to find out what was going on in Sasuke's life. With his mind made up, Itachi acknowledged that he _might_ have had a minor brother complex.

Situated with his tea and dessert, he took a bite out of his dango while casting furtive glances at the pair.

Pale irises? That girl looked familiar… ah, yes. She was a Hyuuga. His eidetic memory did not let him down; she was the eldest daughter to Hyuuga Hiashi and thus the heiress to the family enterprise, though it was rumored that she declined the position.

Hyuuga Hinata. Now what was his little brother doing with the Hyuuga princess?

Currently, the two were talking. If he could tell by the tired but relieved expression on her face, she was talking about how her final exams went.

Unfortunately, he was not close enough to hear their conversation and he could not analyze Sasuke's reactions to her, with only a view of the back of his head.

At least he could observe the girl - wait did she just…? He fought to avoid dropping his stick of partially eaten dango.

He watched in shock as she fed Sasuke a piece of taiyaki, which he ate eagerly by the way he took it from her fingers. _With his mouth_.

The prodigy's mind was spinning. Was this real life? Did he fall into an alternate dimension or did Uchiha Sasuke really let someone feed him in this manner? And sweets nonetheless? He hated sweets!

It was a good thing Itachi was already sitting because he may not have been able to support himself when he saw his brother push his mug towards her, gesturing for her to try the drink.

She took a tentative sip but pulled away quickly, her nose scrunching in distaste, probably from the bitterness. Sasuke liked his coffee black.

His shoulders shook from laughter upon her reaction and she made a face at him in retaliation to the teasing.

Their relationship struck him as very intimate and he didn't need to be a professional investigator to deduce that. It was not often that Itachi was touched, but watching his normally aloof brother interact with this girl kindled warmth in his chest.

The voyeur continued to study the couple with a perverse sort of interest. This was an entirely new side of Sasuke that was emerging - a happy, carefree, love-struck boy.

The clock reported the time to be 3:17 but Sasuke was still engaged in conversation with his friend. It was likely they were parting ways for the summer and would not meet again until fall. Itachi did not have the heart to separate the two and only got up when they made the move to leave.

Not wanting his cover to be blown, he escaped swiftly. His police academy training came in handy, seeing as his quick stride took him to the car long before Sasuke.

Interestingly, the Hyuuga princess walked with Sasuke to the car. They stopped twenty feet behind the vehicle and Itachi was able to spy on them via the rearview mirror.

Her shoulders sagged as she looked up to her friend with sad doe eyes and a frown tugging at her mouth. She was obviously melancholy over their departure.

Sasuke placed his hands on her shoulders in a comforting gesture, then brought his face close to hers. Lips moving; he was telling her something. When he finished speaking, he kissed her forehead and tugged her to him for a tight hug. She returned the embrace with just as much enthusiasm, wrapping her arms around his wide torso.

Light pink flooded both of their cheeks when they separated.

They awkwardly bade goodbye and parted ways. When he began to walk to the car, Itachi whipped out his phone and pretended he was on it the whole time.

The passenger door opened and a dazed Sasuke climbed in. Robotically, he clicked his seat belt and turned to gaze at the retreating figure.

Itachi put the car in drive and waited until they left campus to inquire, "Was she the owner of the purple toothbrush?"

"Yeah," he answered, still in some kind of stupor.

"Well?" Itachi's tone was expectant. "What happened?"

Embarrassed at the fact that his older brother witnessed the exchange, Sasuke faced the window to hide his flush from the events that just transpired.

"Nothing," he took a deep breath to calm his nerves, "We're just friends."

Itachi nodded in understanding, "I see. That's quite different from how you treat your other friends."

"She's different."

Buildings and trees turned into blurs as they crossed stretches of land to return home. He thought he would be excited for the summer to come, since he wouldn't have class or have to deal with the havoc that came with living in one building occupied by a hundred other males. But as they got further away from the university, emptiness engulfed him like a chasm.

Sasuke rest his still warm cheek against the soothing glass of the window and almost drifted off from the ambience of the radio's murmur and the muted sounds of driving.

"Do you want me to pick up some taiyaki from the store?" Itachi's voice cut through his sleep addled mind.

"Huh?"

"Because it seems you like taiyaki now," Itachi couldn't keep the smirk off his face. Teasing Sasuke was one of his favorite past times because he regressed into a kid again; petulant, but lovable.

He nearly hit his head on the window when he shot up. "You watched us in the cafe?!"

The older Uchiha chuckled, "I just happened to stumble into the same cafe where my little brother was having a date with his pretty girlfriend."

Sasuke was mortified. He knew his brother was a detective but he didn't think Itachi would turn his sleuthing skills on him.

Flustered, Sasuke huffed and crossed his arms. "Can't believe you spied on me," he grumbled.

With his coal eyes still fixed on the road and one hand steady on the wheel, he managed to reach over and flick the pouting boy in the forehead.

"How could I possibly pass up an opportunity to spy on my dear little brother?" he needled. "Besides, you two make a cute couple."

They passed a few streets before Sasuke replied bashfully.

"… Thanks."


	7. Chapter 7

A/N: phew, this is my longest chapter yet! enjoy!

* * *

"You two aren't dating?" Itachi stopped stirring the chicken and onions. He had just asked about their relationship when Sasuke broke the news that they weren't together.

Sasuke kept chopping carrots and replied nonchalantly. "No."

The sizzle of stagnant food filled the kitchen and he had to remind his older brother not to burn their dinner. They were having curry tonight.

Resuming his task, Itachi narrowly avoided ruining the chicken.

"You certainly appeared to be in a relationship," he commented while adding spices, then broth.

Sasuke moved on to cutting peeled potatoes and didn't respond immediately.

"We're not." There was a marked stiffness to his tone.

He had touched a nerve and decided to push. "Did you tell her?"

"Tell her what?"

Itachi scoffed lightly. "That you like her."

"Of course I like her," he said as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. "She doesn't need me to tell her that."

"Romantically," Itachi emphasized his point with a wave of his spoon - it was like pulling teeth to get Sasuke to talk about his feelings. He noted that he had an easier time interrogating hardened criminals than his closed off brother.

Unable to deny the accusation, he became tight-lipped instead; head down and bangs obscuring his features as he paid a suspicious amount of attention to the potatoes. Though, if he didn't stop his assault with the knife, the diced chunks would become minced very soon.

If it was this difficult for Sasuke to talk about his feelings with his own brother, then Itachi concluded that he hadn't told her yet. It was likely he hadn't even hinted at it.

"Oh, little brother," Itachi lamented. "Nothing but heartache will come out of pining."

Sasuke gave him the cut-up vegetables as well as a look of mild annoyance. "As if you know anything about it."

He was being testy but Itachi took the jab well, chuckling. "Yes, but you underestimate what I've learned from observation."

Even if Itachi was married to his career, with its odd and long hours, he still possessed knowledge of romance from indirect life experiences. Meaning he soaked up bits and pieces from his friends, literature, and people-watching. While he did not consider himself an expert by any means, he knew enough to give decent advice.

The younger Uchiha tried to move past his stubbornness, knowing his brother was right. And if he was going to talk about this with anyone, it would be with Itachi. So, he sighed and conceded. "I don't want to ruin our friendship."

Itachi stirred in the potatoes and carrots, then placed a lid on the pot to let the stew simmer. Setting down his spoon and facing the young man, he sighed as well. Onyx eyes met a similar pair and he stated, "You risk failure with every action you take. Although," the corners of his mouth turned up wistfully, "father would have argued that Uchihas never fail."

A slight smirk appeared at the mention of his father's familial pride, which bordered on arrogance.

Then it fell when he remembered the subject at hand, crossing his arms at the vulnerability that came with the mere thought of confessing. He didn't want to think about opening up and getting hurt as a result.

Sensing his hesitation, Itachi spoke again. "What's the worst thing that could happen? She's disgusted and rejects you completely, cutting off your friendship and refusing to speak with you."

He scowled. "Hinata wouldn't, she's nicer than that."

"I'm sure she is," Itachi assured him. From his impression of her, she seemed sweet; the type that picked up stray animals from the street. "Now what's the best outcome? She's madly in love with you too and you sweep her off her feet and ride into the sunset, happily ever after."

Something in Sasuke's chest fluttered at the idea of her acceptance, but he was stopped short by the worry that she didn't reciprocate his feelings. He was confident that if he hadn't pursued their friendship, she wouldn't have given him a second glance. Sure, he might have been considered a heart-throb (to his contempt), but she wasn't swayed by shallow qualities like looks or money.

The irony; to be adored by many, but to fall for the one person that wouldn't have paid him any mind.

"But what's likely to happen? If she doesn't like you in that way, then she turns you down gently because she cares about you. And because she values your friendship, she won't break it off."

It would sting, yet it was better than being flat out rejected and subsequently ignored.

"If she _does_ like you, then all is well and you two will officially make a cute couple."

Itachi's words held sound logic that he couldn't refute. "Sometimes I forget you have a degree in psychology."

"And criminology," his brother quipped. "I dual majored."

"Right. Watch the curry," Sasuke gestured to the pot that was steaming profusely.

"Ah," the chef quickly grabbed the wooden spoon and set to mixing.

Gathering the knife and cutting board, he placed them in the sink and rolled up his sleeves. He contemplated while he washed the utensils. As he thought about the potential outcomes of confessing, a strange combination of anxiety and hope churned in his stomach.

Maybe it wouldn't be so bad…

* * *

The Hyuuga sisters were sitting on Hinata's bed and relaxing in each other's company, as they missed each other dearly. The younger of the two just completed the semester and was now entirely free to catch up.

"Tell me everything," Hanabi propped her head up with her palms and gave Hinata her full attention. "Every detail of everything you did this past year."

Hinata giggled. "I'll try my best." She paused to think before excitement lit her features. "Oh! I made a new friend!"

Her sister grinned in response, happy for Hinata.

"I met him through mutual friends, at this coffee -"

She interrupted, "Wait, did you say _him_?"

"Yes?" Lavender eyes narrowed in questioning.

Hanabi's brows wiggled suggestively. "Pictures, pictures," she demanded.

A faint blush colored her cheeks at the teasing, "Hanabi, two of my best friends are guys."

"Yeah but you practically grew up with Shino and Kiba, I know you don't _like like_ them. Now show me." She was insistent, eager to see who her sister was spending time with. Hinata barely posted about herself on social media, mostly posting about food, places, or cute animals. When they texted, the college student would mention hanging out with new people, but Hanabi assumed they were more acquaintances than anything since she didn't gush about them. Lastly, she was shy, which made it harder for her to make close friends.

Never able to refuse her baby sister, Hinata pulled out her phone and scrolled though her photo album. She chose to display a candid of Sasuke she took on a whim. That day, they sat next to a window in the library and she momentarily glanced up from her notes to her study partner, only to be stunned by the sight.

He was ethereal.

With dusk approaching, the lighting illuminated his high cheekbones and strong jaw; his skin was practically glowing. Not to mention his hair... The setting sun's rays did justice to the normally solid raven tresses, lending them an unnatural radiance. He was relaxed, mouth barely parted, and admiring the forest that bordered their side of the library. Although she preferred his rare genuine smile, she found herself strangely attached to his calm countenance as well.

It was her favorite photo of him... For artistic purposes, of course.

Hanabi clutched her arm and emphatically declared, "He's hot."

Dodging the statement, she grinned and cocked her head. "You're fourteen, he's too old."

The high school student rolled her eyes, grumbling something about being born at the wrong time. "Go on with your story," she pressed.

Hinata continued, relaying how they met to their studying and gradual friendship – they sat together in physics lecture and frequented downtown Konoha on the weekends, exploring a new place each time. She told her how she owed Sasuke her life for his physics help, but she would make it up to him when they took chemistry together in the upcoming fall semester. Chemistry was her favorite subject, and for good reason, because she wanted to become a pharmacist.

"Wow," Hanabi breathed out. "Does he have a brother? It's obvious he's all yours."

"What? No, it's not -"

Ignoring her sister's protests and ruffled behavior, she continued. "You two will have the most beautiful kids." Sniffling, she pretended to dab away non-existent tears, "My Hinata is all grown up!"

Looking beyond the exaggerations, Hinata pondered. What if her words had merit? She hadn't really considered Sasuke in that light before, enjoying his friendship too much to even think about turning it into a relationship. Her pulse unexpectedly quickened at the thought of that change.

No, he was far too handsome to even look at her romantically. Way out of her league, she decided. More often than not, she was on the receiving end of angry, jealous, and even devastated glances when they went out. She wished she could wave a sign around that stated, in bold and large font, that they weren't together. Though he's never complained to her about it, she worried she was ruining Sasuke's chances at dating by spending so much time with him and casting the false image that he was taken.

And several times during the semester, she's seen Sasuke approached by stunning girls with legs for miles and the occasional boy, equally as beautiful, while waiting alone at their designated meet up spot. Each instance, she watched him easily reject the person and then scan the area for her, making a quick getaway upon spotting her. She secretly wondered why he dismissed these gorgeous strangers; if he turned _them_ down, maybe it was because he was holding out to date someone even more beautiful, if possible.

He was a bit peevish when that happened so she would tease him for being popular, famous even. "Maybe you could model, your dashing good looks will make you rich and you wouldn't have to live on a college student budget."

Throwing an arm around her shoulders, he briefly squeezed her for the cheeky behavior. "No thanks. I'd rather live on a college student budget than be chased by rabid fans that only want me for my appearance."

She laughed and leaned into him, comfortable in his embrace. "I'm sure they'll be charmed when they find out about your casual indifference and frequent brooding."

Now it was his turn to huff in amusement. "Those _are_ my most attractive features."

Her mind wandered out of the memory and into the present, where Hanabi was still discussing the children that would result from her and Sasuke's union.

"Do you think they'll have pale or dark eyes? Or what if one was black and the other white? Hmm."

Hinata's cheeks turned a lovely scarlet, which her sister picked up on. "Looks like you're curious about your future kids too."

"Hanabi!" She admonished. "I'm only nineteen and if things work out, I'll be a full-time student for the next seven years." Then she added, almost as an afterthought. "And Sasuke and I are friends."

"Not for long…" the girl muttered.

"What was that?"

"Nothing, nothing," she dismissed and cleared her throat. "Now about his brother?"

"Definitely not, he's at least ten years older than you," Hinata asserted with a no-nonsense tone. Age gaps didn't faze her if both parties were of the age of consent, but Hanabi was barely fourteen. Changing the subject, she asked, "What happened to Konohamaru?"

Hanabi's shift in attitude was so immediate, it was almost concerning - from disappointed to wrathful in a split second.

" _That_ _punk_ ," she began with a sour expression.

Hinata grabbed a pillow and reclined to a more comfortable position. She had a feeling this story would be a long one.

* * *

The first thing he did when he woke up in the morning was check his phone. Yes, he admitted to himself, the new habit was because of Hinata. He'd be a dirty liar if he said he didn't enjoy texting her. In fact, he looked forward to it, to learning obscure facts about her like her aversion to shrimp.

Luckily, he had a new message notification from Hinata. Since her name meant "place in the sun," she was saved in his phone with none other than a sun emoji. It was fitting for the bright girl. Plus, he knew that she saved his name with a tomato emoji and he wanted to do the same for her.

He opened her message, which read:

"Your birthday is coming up! We should do something to celebrate!"

Frankly, he had forgotten about it until she mentioned it. He didn't really care for his birthday; the excitement of aging wore off in his early teens. But if she was delighted over it, he wouldn't rain on her parade.

"yeah? are you going to come down to konoha for my birthday?"

"I could :)  
What's a few hours on the train to visit one of my best friends?"

Astonished, Sasuke reread her reply several times, to be sure he was seeing it correctly. Would she really do that? For him?

Maybe he would actually have something to look forward to this year.

Okay, play it cool, Uchiha.

"if you insist (smirking emoji)"

She laughed. He was always so aloof, or at least he acted like it.

"I do!  
What do you want to do on your day of birth?"

"eat you out"

Her jaw dropped, pale eyes nearly bugging out of her skull. She wasn't quite sure what to say, seeing as her brain short circuited at his forwardness.

Not a second later, he corrected himself in a succession of rapid texts.

"SHIT  
take you out  
like to a restaurant or something  
fucking auto correct  
i'm so sorry"

Sasuke threw his phone to the other side of the mattress in frustration, where it collided with a pillow. Burying his burning face in his hands, he groaned. God, he sounded like some kind of fuckboy. He hadn't seen her in two months and he was just trying to make plans with her, then he had to go and make it weird! Not to mention, there was a familiar discomfort in his boxers when his other head fixated upon the faux pas.

Rolling onto his side, he lamented over her reaction, which would certainly be negative. She would think he was a pervert, she would be disgusted with him, she would -

His phone buzzed its familiar vibration and he instantly lunged for it. Although he dreaded opening the text, curiosity compelled him.

"lmao (laughing emoji)  
It's okay"

The breath he didn't know he was holding left in a sudden _woosh_. Thank goodness for her mercy. Hinata really was a ray of sunshine.

Meanwhile, she was in tears, cracking up over the misunderstanding. She clutched her stomach as side-splitting laughter wracked her body. Neji even knocked on her door, asking if things were alright, to which she barely wheezed out a yes.

Her brand of humor was not usually this crude, but she felt that this was too good not to enjoy. Sasuke never slipped up and it was amusing to catch him flustered - if only she could see the look on his face right now.

To diffuse some of the anxiety he was sure to be experiencing, she added on:

"Where do you have in mind?"

Bouncing back from his initial searing embarrassment, he messaged back:

"there's a pretty good ramen place near my house"

By now, her hysterics had calmed down significantly and she could breathe easy again.

"Sounds good! I like ramen"

"and there's a really old shrine you might like  
it's over run with cats  
they're taken care of by local cat ladies"

She smiled. He remembered that one time she told him she liked shrines. Not necessarily for religious reasons, but for the historical architecture and calm atmosphere.

They proceeded to plan the rest of their day trip. She would get there on the first train and leave on the last train home so they could maximize their time together. Their itinerary included exploring various sites of Sasuke's side of Konoha. He lived on the outskirts, on the opposite side of town from the university, where it was more forest than city.

Enthusiasm bubbled in her chest at the prospect of seeing him again. And he, the same.


End file.
